More Coral Settlement at Perhentian

Perhentian Islands, Malaysia. Preliminary results are in for this year’s coral settlement at the Perhentian
Coral Nursery established by Fizzy Transition Ventures. Experiments have been
underway to compare coral larva settlement on Ordinary Portland Cement tiles
with Portland cement tiles coated in “Compound 7”.

“Compound 7” is
FTV’s proprietary surface covering designed to improve coral growth in coral
nurseries and reef rehabilitation projects. It is a quick-setting compound that
can be applied to most marine construction.

Perhentian
corals spawn from December through February. During last year’s coral spawning,
the experimental tiles were exposed to natural larval settlement from more than
60 potential spawning species in the Marine Park. Larvae that attached and grew
on the treated surface accounted for 37 individuals per square metre. None
settled on the Ordinary Portland Cement.

This year, more
larvae settled on the experimental tiles. The population density on “Compound
7” has now climbed to 62.5 colonies per square metre including those larvae
that survived from 2018.

The Ordinary
Portland Cement had experienced no settlement during 2018. That result was
repeated again this year and the Ordinary Portland Cement still has no coral
attached and growing. The conspicuous lack of sedentary organisms and low
biodiversity on concrete artificial reefs is explained by surface chemistry and
texture.
“Compound 7” seems to overcome these problems in
S.E. Asian waters and produce exciting benefits for coral conservation.

Living coral larva growing on “Compound 7” are highlightedClose-up view of young coral colony about 12 months after settlement. Many have doubled in diameter and grown from one to several polyps.